Getting more out of Learning Videos: Four ways of Jazzing-up plain-vanilla videos

With the popularity of technology-aided learning, videos in learning have been gaining a steady acceptance for varied audiences and different learning objectives. Video-based learning is effective because of several reasons. Fighting the ‘glazing-over’ phenomenon which occurs often among learners, it successfully increases student engagement. It communicates information in a simple and direct manner. By communicating information without beating around the bush and coming straight to the point, it promotes knowledge retention. Accommodating multiple learning styles, it also improves acquisition of abstract and complex concepts.

With advancement in technology, videos have raised the ranks in terms of visual appeal and effectiveness. Gone are the days when a swanky video ensued budgetary strains and prolonged production timelines. There is a lot that can be done to transform a regular plain-vanilla video into an effective learning tool. Here are some innovative ways that can be employed to create effective and hard-hitting learning videos.

• Annotations in Learning Videos: For learning videos, short is powerful. If the video is long-winded, the learner tends to lose focus. The solution is to create small packets of information within the video to emphasize the important or relevant sections. This can be successfully done by creating annotations. Annotations are clippings within a video that are selected and named. This helps the learner to identify the important information in the video and the emphasis helps him or her to retain the information better. Annotations also help the learner learn bit-by-bit, making complex processes or information simpler to understand. This strategy is applicable for conceptual, procedural and soft skills training.
• Navigation in Learning Videos: Videos can be long, with several sections explaining different topics. A simple solution to making such videos more palatable is to differentiate separate topics within a video and create a table of content that the learners can navigate to get to their desired section directly. This saves considerable time and effort for the learners – a big benefit for corporate learners who are always pressed for time and look for ways to learn quickly yet effectively.
• Search within the Video: Another way to help learners access the desired portions within a video is to introduce the key-word search feature within the video. Selected portions of the video can be tagged using keywords. When the learner searches for those keywords within the video, he is directed to the appropriate section of the video. This makes sure that the content within the video is accessible fast and easy. This also provides the necessary confidence to the learner to take control over learning by knowing what he wants and getting access to it quickly within the learning video.
• Assessments in Learning Videos: Videos can also include re-enforcements to test the knowledge retained by the learners. There are multiple ways to create suitable assessment tools within a video. A few examples:
  • At the end of a procedural video you can ask the learner to identify the key points in the video followed by a feedback to ascertain if the learner has answered correctly or not.
  • Procedural videos can also be broken down into sections and the learner can be asked to put them in the correct sequence.
  • Recorded sessions can be put across to learners to comprehend or critique. They can be asked to comment on specific parts of it, interpret it in their own words or ask pertinent questions related to it.
  • Simple assessments like adding a question layer after a concept has been taught in a video followed by diagnostic feedback can be effective.
  • You can also introduce interactive elements like filling up the empty labels in a video or identifying missing parts.

Just introducing a video element in your learning might not cut through with the expectations of the modern-day learner. A learning video needs to align to the learning objectives and suitably employ technology-enabled ways of achieving them. We have listed four ways of doing so, but there are many more. And with emerging technologies, the list is expected to grow further. We hope to keep sharing more of our experiences in creating effective videos for learning. To know more, write to in**@gc**********.net